Sunday, October 31, 2010

Below is my message for Sunday, October 31st. Please feel free to forward or reply. Your comments are always welcome. You are also encouraged to use this or any of my messages in your camp or other newsletter.May God bless you in His service and in service to our most worthy Cause.

I have, on a few occasions, received letters that blessed me so much or I thought to be so important, that I not only saved them, but put them in frames. Last week I received such a letter, and although it is addressed to me, it's content is intended for every member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. So, I'd like to take this time to share it with you and hope it blesses you as much as it did me.

A copy of the letter is attached and since it may be difficult to read, I typed the content below exactly as it appears in the letter. You may notice it took a while to reach me.28 October

To Dr L E "Len" Patterson
Chaplain of members of
Trans-Mississippi and colleagues

It was delightful to receive your
sympathy card, combined with
Birthday Greetings. Thank you
very much indeed and my best
wishes to you all.
Thank you very much and
may God Bless you all.
Arthur John
(a s of cv)What makes this letter such a blessing is the person who wrote it. Arthur John is a member of our SCV camp in Australia. He is a Real Son, and at 105 years old, he is the eldest living member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. It should also be noticed that he is a Godly man.

Consider for a moment the Scriptures. It was common, particularly in the Old Testament, for the eldest member of a family to bless the younger members. In Genesis 14: 19 we find that the elder Melchizedek, the oldest living man on earth at the time, blessed Abraham. This blessing is also mentioned in Hebrews 7:1.

Arthur John ended his letter with, "and may God bless you all." Brothers and fellow compatriots, we, the Sons of Confederate Veterans, have been blessed by our oldest living member. The elder has blessed the younger, and we are indeed blessed.

Friday, October 22, 2010

A textbook distributed to Virginia fourth-graders says that thousands of African Americans fought for the South during the Civil War -- a claim rejected by most historians but often made by groups seeking to play down slavery's role as a cause of the conflict.

The passage appears in "Our Virginia: Past and Present," which was distributed in the state's public elementary schools for the first time last month. The author, Joy Masoff, who is not a trained historian but has written several books, said she found the information about black Confederate soldiers primarily through Internet research, which turned up work by members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

Scholars are nearly unanimous in calling these accounts of black Confederate soldiers a misrepresentation of history. Virginia education officials, after being told by The Washington Post of the issues related to the textbook, said that the vetting of the book was flawed and that they will contact school districts across the state to caution them against teaching the passage.

"Just because a book is approved doesn't mean the Department of Education endorses every sentence," said spokesman Charles Pyle. He also called the book's assertion about black Confederate soldiers "outside mainstream Civil War scholarship."

Masoff defended her work. "As controversial as it is, I stand by what I write," she said. "I am a fairly respected writer."

The issues first came to light after College of William & Mary historian Carol Sheriff opened her daughter's copy of "Our Virginia" and saw the reference to black Confederate soldiers.

"It's disconcerting that the next generation is being taught history based on an unfounded claim instead of accepted scholarship," Sheriff said. "It concerns me not just as a professional historian but as a parent."

Virginia, which is preparing to mark the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War, has long struggled to appropriately commemorate its Confederate past. The debate was reinvigorated this spring, when Gov. Robert F. Mc­Don­nell (R) introduced "Confederate History Month" in Virginia without mentioning slavery's role in the Civil War. He later apologized.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans, a group of male descendants of Confederate soldiers based in Columbia, Tenn., has long maintained that substantial numbers of black soldiers fought for the South The group's historian-in-chief, Charles Kelly Barrow, has written the book "Black Confederates."

The Sons of Confederate Veterans also disputes the widely accepted conclusion that the struggle over slavery was the main cause of the Civil War. Instead, the group says, the war was fought "to preserve their homes and livelihood," according to John Sawyer, chief of staff of the Sons of Confederate Veterans' Army of Northern Virginia. He said the group was pleased that a state textbook accepted some of its views.

The state's curriculum requires textbook publishers and educators to explore the role African Americans played in the Confederacy, including their work on plantations and on the sidelines of battle. Those standards have evolved in recent years to make lessons on the Civil War more inclusive in a state that is growing increasingly diverse.

When Masoff began work on the textbook, she said she consulted a variety of sources -- history books, experts and the Internet. But when it came to one of the Civil War's most controversial themes -- the role of African Americans in the Confederacy -- she relied primarily on an Internet search.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Confederate Christians and fellow Compatriots:
Below is my message for Sunday, October 24th. Please feel free to forward, reply, or use it in your camp or other newsletter. It is always appreciated.
May God bless you all in His service and in service to our just Southern Cause.

After the Lord saved me, I gave my life to His ministry because of one compelling thought. A thought so impressive it could not be ignored. I became totally convinced, perhaps even obsessed, that the most important thing in this world was man's relationship with God. And today, forty years later, I'm just as certain of this as ever. And, all one need do is envision Jesus Christ dying in agony on a Roman cross to realize how important a relationship with us is to God.Just imagine what this world would be like if everyone in it were a faithful, obedient Christian seeking a better relationship with God? Wars would cease; crime would stop; prisons would empty; abortions would no longer be an issue; we wouldn't need locks on our doors or guns for protection. Of course, as wonderful as this would be, I don't expect it to happen. Even Jesus said that most people will go in the wrong direction. (Matt. 7:13)What about the Sons of Confederate Veterans and our worthy Cause? What if every member of the SCV were a faithful, obedient Christian seeking God's strength and guidance in our efforts to honor our Confederate forefathers and preserve our proud Southern heritage? What if God were leading our Confederation? What if ten thousand angels were running interference for us? What if the Spirit of God went before us touching the hearts and minds of those who oppose us, as well as politically correct politicians, and potential new members? What if all of our efforts were supported by the wisdom and unlimited power of God? What if we all agreed (and I know many of you do) that, as individuals and as a Confederation, the most important thing in this world is our relationship with God? The Scripture says, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." Of course the relationship is free, but the rewards are much needed, eternal, and immense.

My wife is a very good cook. This is true, and anyone who has eaten what she prepares knows that. Every once in a while, on rare occasions, she makes a dish called baked beans. She begins with a can or two of Pork 'n Beans, adds some other stuff, and places it in the oven for a while. Once, long ago, she asked me how I liked her it. I answered, with a smile and in a jovial manner to be sure, that she had gone to a lot of trouble to ruin a perfectly good can of Pork 'n Beans. Since then her baked bean dish has become known in our family as "ruined beans."

Some years ago, as the pastor of a local church, I was asked to assist in the ordination of a deacon by one or our sister churches. During the ceremony, the presiding minister stood to deliver the message called, "the charge to the deacon." He began by holding up a Bible and firmly stating that it was the Holy Inspired Word of God. He continued by saying that it was absolute truth with no admixture of error and did not need to be updated, amended, abridged, refined, or corrected. To this, there were many Amens.

Then, shortly into his sermon, he read the qualifications of a deacon found in First Timothy 3: 8-13. He began with verse eight, which says, "Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine . . . " Here he stopped reading, looked up at the congregation, and forcefully proclaimed, "A deacon should not be given to ANY wine!" Again, there were many Amens.

Perhaps I was the only one paying attention, but that preacher contradicted himself. He updated and corrected the Holy Inspired Word of God, which he just said didn't need to be updated or corrected. I believe the Bible is God's Word. It says what it means and means what it says. It doesn't need to be updated or amended, and like Pork 'n Beans, cannot be improved. Any attempt at doing so ends up as . . . well, ruined beans.

You may not agree that Pork 'n Beans are fine just as the come from the can and don't need improvement. But, hopefully you do agree the Bible is perfect just as it is and doesn't need any additional ingredients. My wife's baked bean dish is OK, and I don't mind eating it once in a while, but when it comes to the Scriptures, I don't want ruined beans.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Confederate Christians and fellow Compatriots:Below is my message for Sunday, October 10th. Please feel free to forward or reply. Your comments are always welcome. You may also use it as a Chaplain's Article in your camp or other newsletter.May God bless you in His service and in service to our most worthy Cause.

We have all seen tests where a statement is made and we are then asked to decide if the statement is true or false. The answers are usually given at the bottom of the page (upside down) or on another page in the book or magazine. Sometimes we find that our answer is wrong and we must change what we thought about a particular subject. However, we know there are those who refuse to be influenced by what is actually true or false. They will continue to believe what they want to believe, what they have been told to believe, or what suits their interests to believe, without regard for the facts.

Webster's Dictionary defines a fact as, "Something known to be true." It seems to me that if something is known to be true, there would be no debate or disagreement about it's validity. And yet, there is. In John 8:46, Jesus asks, "And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?" One reason is pure ignorance. They simply don't know the truth and don't care to know the truth, but will still argue as if they know all about it. Another reason many ignore the truth is they would rather defend their opinion than change their mind, even if the facts prove them wrong. Why is that?

Jesus gave this answer in John 3:19, "Men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." Think of the many so called "controversial issues" being debated today. There's gun control, abortion, homosexual activity along with same sex marriage, excessive taxes, bail outs, illegal immigration and more. The facts about each of these issues is obvious and the answers are simple. And most, if not all of us know what is true or false about these matters.

There are facts concerning our Confederate ancestors and Southern heritage. As members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, we have studied and know what is true or false. As the Scripture says, "We have not followed cunningly devised fables." (2 Pet. 1:16) That is, the fables concocted by the Unionists to justify their invasion of the sovereign Confederate States, and all the horrors inflicted on Southern men, women and children in a war that was as unnecessary as it was illegal.

It is also true that the Union of Confederate Veterans, followed by the Sons of Confederate Veterans were once highly respected organizations, especially in the South. Our membership included the most influential men of society, as well as officials in all levels of government. But the federalists have done their job well. I won't talk about where we are today. You know where we are as a Confederation as well, if not better, than I do.

The only answer for the Sons of Confederate Veterans is to put our faith and trust in Almighty God, and follow Him as He leads us to success in our just and most worthy Cause. If we are to accomplish our mission to save our Southern heritage and the respect due our brave and honorable Confederate forefathers, we must have the guidance and blessings of God. And, the correct answer to that statement is, True.

Costumed performers will re-create the tragic and grisly aftermath of a Civil War battlefield. You will be led on a candlelight night tour of the actual battlefield, where almost 30,000 men made war on each other. Frightening and educational at the same time!

Grand Ole Opry star, Little Jimmy Dickens sang, "Like a Banty (Bantam) rooster: I'm little short and puny, but I'm proud." I can't imagine anyone not being proud of what they are, and especially of what they choose to be. Or, to say it in another way, I can't imagine anyone not choosing to be what they can be proud of.

In Romans chapter one, verse sixteen, Paul writes, "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ." Paul was not a Jew when he was with the Jews, a Roman when he was with Romans, and a Christian when he was in church. Paul was a Christian at all times and believed everyone else should be a Christian also. And he didn't mind saying so. In speaking to King Agrippa in Acts 26: 29, Paul says, "I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am." The Apostle Paul was a Christian . . . and proud of it.

I can't imagine any member of the SCV not wanting to tell all who will listen, "I am a proud member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. I am the proud descendant of a brave Confederate Soldier who deserves to be remembered with honor. I am proud of President Jeff Davis, and Generals Lee, Jackson, Forest, and all those who fought for our Confederate Cause. This is where I stand, this is what I am . . . and proud of it."

Paul also wrote, "So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the Gospel to you that are in Rome also." (Rom. 1:15) Those who opposed Paul's message could ridicule him, and they did. They could beat him, and they did. They could imprison him, and they did. They could stone him, and they did. They could cut off his head, and they did. But Paul knew where he stood, and he wasn't going to compromise what he believed in. And, neither should we.

The more we compromise our message as the Sons of Confederate Veterans, the more we compromise the honor due our Confederate forefathers. The more we concede to those who oppose our Cause, the more we concede of our Southern heritage. The more respect we show to the enemies of truth, the more respect we lose. If we are to serve the Charge. If we are to recruit and retain. If we are to preserve our heritage. If we are to be successful in the mission handed down to us by our Confederate forefathers, we must draw a line in the sand, and like the Apostle Paul, proclaim who we are and where we stand.

Every Christian should be a missionary, reaching out to a lost and dying world with the life saving message of Jesus Christ. And every member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans should be a recruiter, reaching out to every son of the South with the truth of our Confederate Cause. Why? Because we are the Sons of Confederate soldiers who so honorably and bravely defended our beloved homeland . . . and proud of it!